If I remember right, there is a fellow FM member a month or so ago, perhaps a bit longer, who had a similar experience to yours. He contacted PP, even though he paid by gift payment, and they were helpful in a arriving at a positive resolution to his case. I hope you have contacted PP to see what they might do for you.

FWIW, I'm not a lawyer anywhere at all, so this is not legal advice: it is not your job to conclude that "Ben" had his account stolen/hijacked or compromised. That's the job of Law Enforcement. Most jurisdictions require that any charge against an individual be filed in the jurisdiction in which that individual resides. That would require that you do a search on the county government of "Ben's" place of residence to determine who the DA is for that jurisdiction.

Having done that, you would then call that DA's office, or the sub-section of it that deals with internet crime, because ripping you off of 1820$ via the internet likely serves as the basis for probable cause of the occurrence of an internet crime. Ask the individual with whom you talk about the procedure for preferring charges; be prepared for flying there. Have with you whatever PP documentation you have detailing the transaction and gather as much of it as you can to present to the DA's office contact person upon your arrival. After that following their instructions about what to do next. If you are able to get them to do that in the presence of your having screwed up by using a "gift payment" you'll be at least one step closer to a positive resolution for yourself.

Oh, you might want to inform "Ben" in the interim, via email with a "copy to" the DA's representative, that you are scheduled to fly to his community to prefer charges against him/her. Don't do anything that threatens this guy/gal, just state the facts and proceed.

Again, I'm not a lawyer - you may well want to contact one. Speaking for myself, the outline I gave you is precisely what I would do, and I'd spend another $1820 to get a positive resolution to it if I had to.

If I remember right, there is a fellow FM member a month or so ago, perhaps a bit longer, who had a similar experience to yours. He contacted PP, even though he paid by gift payment, and they were helpful in a arriving at a positive resolution to his case. I hope you have contacted PP to see what they might do for you.

FWIW, I'm not a lawyer anywhere at all, so this is not legal advice: it is not your job to conclude that "Ben" had his account stolen/hijacked or compromised. That's the job of Law Enforcement. Most jurisdictions require that any charge against an individual be filed in the jurisdiction in which that individual resides. That would require that you do a search on the county government of "Ben's" place of residence to determine who the DA is for that jurisdiction.

Having done that, you would then call that DA's office, or the sub-section of it that deals with internet crime, because ripping you off of 1820$ via the internet likely serves as the basis for probable cause of the occurrence of an internet crime. Ask the individual with who you talk about the procedure for preferring charges; be prepared for flying there. Have with you whatever PP documentation you have detailing the transaction and gather as much of it as you can to present to the DA's office contact person upon your arrival. After that following their instructions about what to do next. If you are able to get them to do that in the presence of your having screwed up by using a "gift payment" you'll be at least one step closer to a positive resolution for yourself.

Oh, you might want to inform "Ben" in the interim, via email with a "copy to" the DA's representative, that you are scheduled to fly to his community to prefer charges against him/her. Don't do anything that threatens this guy/gal, just state the facts and proceed.

Again, I'm not a lawyer - you may well want to contact one. Speaking for myself, the outline I gave you is precisely what I would do, and I'd spend another $1820 to get a positive resolution to it if I had to.